Milling machine for cross-knobs for musical instruments



Dec. 22 1925- 1,567,004

' E. J. GULICK MILLING MACHINE FOR CROSS KNOBS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTSFiled lflov. 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [12 van tor Witness moagm of mmum;

A ttol'zz e y Dec. 22, 1925- E. J. GULIC K MiLLING MACHINE FOR CROSSKNOBS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In2161: tor I %azwl 6 Attoz'n ey Ffitn ass C. 75mm patented Bee. 22, 1925.

(um-es retreat earner EDWARD J. GULICK, OF ELKHAET, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TOU. G. CONN. LTD G1 ELIE- I-IABT, INDIANA, A CORPORATION (3F INDIANA.

MILLING MACHINE FOR CROSS-KNOBS FOR MUSZCAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed November 1, 1822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. GULICK, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Elkhartcounty of Elkhart, Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Milling Machines for Cross- Knobsfor Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of instrumentbodies and particularly to a machine for milling cross knobs ininstrument bodies. The bodies of brass instruments and particularlysaxophone bodies are provided on various points with pairs of knobswhich are spaced circumferentially but which are located in the samecircumferential plane at right angles to the axis of the body. Theseknobs or projections serve in the finished instrument as bearings forfulcrum pins on which valve levers are secured.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine of this characterby means of which those faces of the cross knobs which are directedtowards each other may be suitably milled or treated by some other toolto provide seating surfaces for portions of the pins.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of thischaracter in which cross knobs of varying circumferential spacing mayrapidly be finished and in which furthermore, the instrument body isarranged at right angles to the axis of the tool and may be held in thisrelation in operative position to the tool shaft.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of thischaracter in which the body is supported partly by means ofthe knobs tobe finished and in which the knobs are pressed against seating surfacesby the action of the tool, thereby avoiding the chattering which isotherwise unavoidable unless the part to be finished is tightly clampedin the machine.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of thischaracter in which similar operations may be simultaneously performed ona plurality of instrument bodies and in which a rapid exchange of theseinstrument bodies for bringing the same body successively into operativerelation to dif erent kinds of tools is made feasible, f

Serial No. 598,252.

With these and numerous other objects in view which will become apparentfrom the following specification, an embodiment of the invention isdescribed in the appended specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary sectional view through the supportingparts;

Fig. 4. shows a supporting element for one of the cross knobs inoperative position; Fig. 5 shows the knobs after having been machined,the instrument body being shown in section; Fig. 6 is an enlargedsectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a similar sectionalview on line 7-7 of Fig. 3.

The machine comprises a suitable bed .1. mounted on standards 2 andprovided with head stock 3 and a tail stock 4. The head stock 3 may havethe driving means which are illustrated by way of example in the presentcase as a set of step pulleys 5 by means of which a cutter shaft 6 is tobe rotated. This cutter shaft, as will be seen from Fig. l, isdetachably mounted in the head stock 3 so as to be rotated by thedriving elements 5, and the other end of the shaft is rotatablysupported in the tail stock by means of a shank 7 having a socket 8 toreceive the reduced pin 9 of said shaft. The shank 7 is reinovablysecured in a socketed pin or bearing sleeve 10 mounted within the hollowbearing box 43 and which can be axially displaced in said box by meansof a screw 11 controlled by the hand wheel 12. to enable the insertionor removal of the shank 7 from the sleeve 10. or the engagement anddisengagement with the shaft (3.

The bearing box 43 is partially split longitudinally at 4st and the twosplit parts are provided with the upper and lower alincd bosses 45 and46. respectively. of which the lower one is tapped. A clamping screw at?extends into the tapped boss 46 and passes loosely through the upperboss in, the latter being engaged by the rigid collar said screw beingprovided with a suitable handle. llpou rotation of the screw t? the twosplit portions of the bearing box 43 will be clan'iped upon and aroundthe sleeve 10. whereby backward displacement of the lat.-

ter is prevented when the machine is in operation. v

This shaft .6 may be provided with a plurality of cutters or other toolsindicated at 13 which may have difierent diameters or different widths,depending upon the forma tion of the cross knobs which are .to bemachined thereby. These cutters are in some suitable way fixed to theshaft so as to be exchangeable thereon, and are preferably uniformlyspaced from each other in some approved way. n u H a The support fortheinstrument body is adapted to retain said body in a position in whichthe cutters 13 may act on a predetermined pair of cross knobs .K and mayproduce in said knobs cut-out portions, as shown in Fig, 5,, adapted topermit the insertion of atransverse,fulcrum pin or hinge. This. pinwhich is not shown in the drawing; is; then located .in a plane whichisperpendicular to the axis of the body and which at the same timeextends thru the axes of the two cross knobs. z.

A support 16isslidably mounted on the bedl, longitudinal ribs projectingfrom the bed into" correspondingly shaped grooves in thelower. face ofthe slide 16, Fig. 2. The lattenafter having been adjusted to apredeterininedposition may beheld in this adjusted position-by alockingpinindioated at 17, and projecting. through the slide 16 andthrough a portion of thebed.

A plurality of bearing structures rise from the slide 16 andmay befixedly or adjustably mountedth-ereon. These bearing structures. 18comprise, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a base plate 19 and a pair ofspaced lugs 20 which rise from the base. The lugs carry at theirupperends transverse pins 21 passing through the same and adapted to;pivotally supportfbetween. the lugs, brackets 22 on which the saxophonebody S is removably secured, A, Hm

The brackets, I as illustrated. particularly in Fig.. .3, are composedof a head 25 and plate. 26. arranged at right angle to each other. 7 Thehead 2 5, which substantially vertical has a slanting front face 27 onwhich a holder bar 28 isv sscu ea b fastening screws 29. This barU-Shaped in' crosse section, 7,,and is provided with flanges 30 betweenwhich a- .\l;s upport ,31 is slidable in, longitudinal directon of e thebar 28 and which may be secured;-at a predetermined positionof theholder 28 neansof a screw 32 or soinegotlien fastening element FmWhiS-fi 11 6 ll. th t-the Vein port glv is readilyjremoy le' andthatdiffer x t shit-inter eave m n-be. e rnedth bar- .28m accommodate bodiesS of different diameter or-taper. V

T h e. head 33, of. "e ta1-. s.11aSa1-etr surface iaie e i bla whee h reical head 2-5 of the bracket 22, This head is provided with a slot 34through which a portion of thetool 13 may extend n order to enter intoproper machining relation with the cross knobs K which are to befinished by the respective tool.

The upper end of the bifurcated head 33 of the holder 28 is furthermoreinclined so as to be approximately parallel to the main body of theholder 28, as shown at 35, and

tains the axisot the cutter shaft. The free ends-of the knobs will restagainst a wall surface, 37 of the recess which intersects the bottom 37atright angle. In-this posiion of he neb h cut in 0. 1 v-1 w ll re: moveparts from the balls band from the unfinished knobs K, as shown indotted lines in 5; the cut out portions being defined by two planesparallel to each other and parallehto the axis ofthe saxophone bodvS,both of these planes intersecting the axes of the knobs K at the sameangle.

. The tool willhave a tendency to. force the knobs and balls against theseat 37, thereby preventing thechattering which is usually produced inmachine work of this character when the elements on which the tooloperates are not supported. .The tool in the present instance willoperate to force the part to befinished against its support and in thisway the necessity of firmly securingthe saxophone body in place isentirely elimit c o The, bracket while being oscillatably mounted on thepivot pin 21 is normally forced .with its head 33 v in a directionawayfrom the cutter shaft owing to the provision of a spring 38which isinterposed between the base 19 and thchorizontal part 26 of thebracketThis movement, however. is limited by an adjustable stop illustrated inthe embodiment shown, inthe form of a screw 89 which engages a tappedopening of thebase l9 and whichhasits head All above he p a e. ,...thescrew ,r 's ngi ee e y through an openingc tl within said plate.Excessive con1p ression of the spring 38, howew telse s p even as'thescr w. 3

arri s adjusta ts ..be ir th herir each of these may be adapted forcooperation vith a cutter 13 of different diameter or different width.The cutters are mounted on a shaft 6, the axis of which is stationary.

In the operation of the machine the saxophone body is placed on thesupport 31 in such position that the pair of cross knobs K to bemachined, enter the recess 36 and rest on the balls in the cornersformed by the bottom 37, and the rear wall 37 of these recesses. Duringthis operation of positioning the saxophone body'the spring 38 may forcethe bracket 22 in counterclockwise direction to bring the horizontalportion 26 into engagement with the adjustable stop After the body hasbeen positioned in this manner and while the machine is in operation,the operator may grip the free end of the holder 28 to force it inclockwise direction about the pivot 21 upwardly until the horizontalpart 26 of the bracket is limited by engagement with the stop nuts 42.he saxophone body is then fixedly held temporarily within its supportand the operation of machining the elements as illust 'ated in F 5 maybe quickly carried out.

ll hen the operator releases the free end of the bar 28, the bracket 22is forced by the spring 38 into a. position in which the machined partsare removed from the influence of the tool 13 and an excessivemachining, therefore, cannot take place in this device.

The operator may now remove the saxophone body from the support 31 andmay place it on another support on the same machine vith another pair ofunfinished cross knobs seated in recesses of another head 33. \Vhile inFig. 1 a single saxophone body is shown as being placed in operativeposition in the machine, it is obvious that simultaneously a number ofbodies may be treated, corresponding to the number of the brackets 22 orany smaller number. It is also obvious that several of the cutters 13may have the same width and diameter so that in different saxophonebodies the corresponding sets of knobs K may be simultaneously treated.

I claim;

1. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, thecombination of a tool shaft extending transversely of the axis of theinstrument body. and means for supporting said instrument body on theknobs to be machined by said tool.

2. in a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, a tool shaft,and means for holding the instrmnent body in predetermined position withrespect to said tool shaft. d means engaging the knobs to be milled.

3. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, thecombination. of a tool shaft, a holder in engagement with the body atseveral points thereof, which are remote from each other, said holderengaging the knobs to be milled.

t. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, a bracketsupporting the instrument body, said bracket having recesses forreceiving the outer ends of the cross knobs to be milled.

5. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, a tool shaft,a bearing, a bracket mounted thereon, a holder for the instrument bodyon said bracket, the holder having a portion engaging the knobs to bemilled and adapted to prevent displacement of said knobs in a directionin which the force of the tool acts thereon.

6. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, a holder forthe instrument body, the holder being provided with recesses in whichthe cross knobs to be milled are seated, the recesses being open on top.

7. In a cross knob milling machine, for instrument bodies, thecombination of atool shaft, a bearing, a holder pivoted on said bearingto swing about an axis parallel to that of the tool shaft, a ll-shapedprojection on the holder adapted to seat the instrument body, and a headon the holder having recesses with rectangularly abutting end surfacesadapted to seat the knobs to be milled.

8. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, thecombination of a tool shaft, a holder for an instrument body, the holderhaving recesses in which the knobs to be milled are seated and having aslot between said recesses adapted for the passage of the tool which isin engagement with the knob to be milled.

9. A cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies comprising a toolshaft, a holder for an instrument body disposed transversely of theshaft, and means on the holder for supporting cross knobs of the body ina position with respect to the tool adapted to permit of the machiningof both of the cross knobs in a single operation.

10. In a cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, thecombination of a tool shaft, a bracket movable in a plane transverselyto the axis of the shaft, a holder on said bracket in which a part ofthe body may be seated. the holder having adjacent the tool shaftrecesses for the knobs to be milled, the head also being provided with aslot through which a part of the tool. passes in the milling operationfor the knobs.

11.. A cross knob milling machine for instrument bodies, including incombination with a bed, a tool shaft rotaiably supported on the bed andhaving a plurality of tools, bearings longitudinally adjustable on thebed, instrument holders niovably supported by said bearings, means foryieldingly forcing the holders in a predetermined direction5and meansfor limiting the movement of said holders.

l2yA cross knob milling machine, including in combination With a toolshaft, zr'bear 5 ing, an instrument holder supported by the bearing andengaging laterally projecting parts of the instrument body, the holderterminating in'a head having recesses in which asso'c'iaced'cross knobsare seatechand means for adjusting the limits of movement of 1 1) saidholder With respect to said hearing.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature this 28th day ofOctober, 1922.

EDWARD J. GULICK.

